The COVID-19 pandemic has left businesses closed and limited the Vandal community’s opportunity to socialize and participate outside of their homes.
Many people still go outside as they ride bikes, go on hikes or just walks around in nature.
The Outdoor Program at UI created a new project called “Where Vandals Roam” for students to share their stories as they explore the Palouse. The project is led by the co-coordinator of the Outdoor Program, Nathan Moody. Moody used his background in mapping to create a virtual story map.
“I had the idea for the last three years, but I just didn’t have the time to implement it,” Moody said. “It turns out that if everyone gets sent home, and you can’t do anything else, then this was the perfect time to unleash it.”
“Where Vandals Roam” allows Vandals to share and view stories of people and places around the Palouse. As of right now, the map is in draft form. Moody said that he needs to get more data into the map form to make it more integrated and interactive.
“Hopefully, we’ll be able to share more student-led stories, trip specific stories and boost the enrollment of people checking it out next week,” Moody said.
The virtual map’s information is shared through GPS and through tracked logs of a route or trail. Moody will use those data points to transfer them onto the map and use that information to create a story in relation to that specific outing.
The goal of the project is to be able to share information on spots around the Palouse where students can be responsible and safe while staying away from others.
The map opened on March 27 for everyone to access. Moody plans to keep this map open in the future beyond the quarantine.
“As our experiences and our stories grow, it’s going to provide a well-rounded story overall,” Moody said. “But for people who participate in our programs … even just realizing where you grew up or even Moscow itself has stronger importance. This a venue we can share with each other and inspire us to get to know where we live a little bit more.”
Students can submit their own stories, pictures or trails of where they have gone in Moscow, Idaho or in the Palouse by reaching out to Nathan Moody at [email protected]. A link to view the “Where Vandals Roam” mapping project is available below. https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/db8600126104438fbf9e42160a1fcebe
Armin Mesinovic can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @arminmesinovic